Ca. 202 BC-220 AD. A large grey earthenware figure of a female dancer wearing flowing, long-sleeved robe decorated with red inserts on the neckline. The lady has a finely detailed face showing red painted lips, a small nose, bright eyes and delicately arched eyebrows. The figure's long black hair is tucked behind her ears. The Han dynasty is the second great imperial dynasty of China (202 BC-220 AD), after the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BC). It succeeded the Qin dynasty (221-207 BC). To find out more about the Han dynasty and its material culture, see Miller, A. R. (2021). Kingly Splendor: Court Art and Materiality in Han China. New York: Columbia University Press. For more information on dancing in Han dynasty China, see Zhi Dao. History of Dance in China, Ch. 4. This piece has been precisely dated by means of a Thermo Luminescence analysis carried out by Oxford Authentication. The samples collected date the piece to the period reflected in its style, whilst also showing no modern trace elements. The TL certificate C123a63 will accompany this lot.Size: L:580mm / W:235mm ; 5.63kgProvenance: UK private collection of Asian Art; formerly acquired in the early 1990s in Hong Kong.